Maryland Weather: Arctic air mass brings bitter cold, low wind chills
BALTIMORE --
An Arctic air mass has firmly settled across the region, driven by strong northwest winds funneling bitterly cold air into the area. Temperatures, which began dropping this morning, will continue to decline through the evening and overnight hours. Combined with the gusty winds, this will produce dangerously low wind chills into early Friday morning.
By tonight, "feels like" temperatures will dip into the low to mid-teens, while actual temperatures fall to the mid and upper 20s. Winds will gust over 30 mph through the night before gradually easing by Friday morning. Although it will remain breezy on Friday, the winds will be less intense compared to Thursday.
Friday's Arctic Chill
Friday afternoon temperatures will struggle to climb out of the mid to upper 30s as the Arctic air firmly grips the region. The coldest wind chills are expected during the morning hours, with some improvement by afternoon.
The coldest night of the week will come Friday night. Many areas will see temperatures drop into the upper teens and lower 20s. The good news? Winds will be much lighter, helping to reduce the wind chill impact.
Weekend Weather Outlook
The weekend looks promising, though chilly. Highs on Saturday will reach near 40 degrees, and overnight temperatures will drop back into the 20s. However, sunshine on Sunday will help temperatures rebound into the low 50s, offering some relief from the frigid conditions.
Next Week: A Warming Trend and Rain
The warming trend continues into next week as southwest flow brings milder air and increased moisture. Highs on Monday will reach the low to mid-50s, but this warmer air will be accompanied by widespread light rain from a storm system moving in from the southwest.
Rain will linger through Monday before the system exits early Tuesday morning. A brief dry spell is expected Tuesday evening, but more rain is likely to move in overnight into Wednesday. Despite the rain, Tuesday afternoon highs will climb to the low to mid-60s.
Midweek Cool-Down
Cooler air returns Wednesday, with highs in the 50s under cloudy skies and scattered showers. A final storm system will depart early Thursday, ushering in a return to blustery and chilly conditions to close out the week.
By Thursday and Friday of next week, high temperatures will only reach the 40s, with overnight lows returning to the 20s and 30s.
